Constant tension winder



Oct. 29, 1935. p HART CONSTANT TENSION WINDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 7, 1935 I I I l lnvenTof. Howard F HOTT WWW? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 8

H. P. HART CONSTANT TENSION WINDER Filed Feb. 7, 1935 5 E M 3 B H n m O i. M 6 6H I3 1 VDI. III..- T+ 1-11.. IL.-- m d m 0 x9! o 8 2 n W n O O m 8 3 a A v/ 9r 7" M Hm Wm b n 3 8|\ m n 2 m 9 1 dw o 2 l on 8 n l V M we. B E m. 7 m n m 2 I2 m Oct. 29, 1935.

Patented Oct. 29, 1935 CONSTANT TENSION WINDER Howard P. Hart, Waterbury, Conn assignor to The Platt Bros. & 00., Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application February 7, 1935, Serial No. 5,457

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for winding material in strip or wire form onto a drum or similar receiver, and particularly to a device of this type which is to be used under such 6 conditions that the material to be wound on the drum is delivered thereto at a speed.

When material in strip form or wire form is being wound on a drum, reel, spool or otherrotary receiver and such material is being delivered to the receiver at a predetermined speed, the increase in diameter of the wound mass on the receiver tends to cause the material to be wound on the drum faster than it is being delivered thereto with the result that as the diameter of the wound mass increases the material being delivered to the drum or receiver will be subjected to an inpredetermined creased tension or pulling strain.

It is one of the objects of my present invention to provide a novel means for controlling the speed of rotation of the drum or receiver by which said speed of rotation is decelerated as the diameter of the wound mass increases so as to maintain a substantially constant tension on the material being delivered to the receiver.

In accordance with the invention the means for rotating the drum or receiver includes a variable speed, transmission which has a power shaft, a transmission shaft, and a variable speed driving connection between said shafts, and means controlled by the tension of the material being delivered to the drum or receiver for adlusting this variable speed driving connection so as to maintain a speed of rotation in the drum which will provide at all times the desired tension on the material being delivered to the drum.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a side view of a device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the pivoted support for the winding drum;

V Fig. 3 is an end view looking toward the right In Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view.

In the drawings I indicates the material which is to be wound on the drum or receiver and which may be in either strip form or wire form, and 2 is a rotary receiver on which the material I is wound. This rotary receiver may be in the form of a reel or a spool or a drum or have any other desirable construction. It is shown as mounted on a shaft 3 which is positively driven, the rotation of the shaft winding the strip material I thereon in the form of a coil as is usual in devices of this type. As stated above the device of this invention has been especially designed for winding on a receiver material in strip form or in wire form which is being delivered from some machine or apparatus at a predetermined speed. As illustrating this condition I have shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4 a pairof'feed rolls 4 by which the strip material I is fed forward and which may form part of some machine or apparatus by which the strip I is subjected to some desired treatment, said strip material or wire I being delivered from the feed rolls 4 to the winding drum 2.

. The winding drum 2 is driven by a variable,

speed transmission device of some suitable type .and I have provided means responsive to a change in the tension to which the material I is subjected by the winding operation to adjust the variable speed transmission device and thereby effect a change in the speed of rotation of the "shaft of the rum 2.

The shaft 3'for the drum or receiver 2 is shown as journalled in suitable bearings 5 carried by an auxiliary frame which is movably mounted on the upper end of a main supporting frame I, the construction being such that any increase in tension to which the material I is subjected by the winding. operation will cause the auxiliary frame 6 to move relative to the main frame I. In an illustrated embodiment of the invention the auxiliary frame is shown at 6 and it isplvotally mounted on the main frame 'I, this pivotal mounting being through the mediumof a pivot shaft'l8 extending through the side, pieces of the frame 6 and through the upstanding portions 9 of the main frame 'I.'

The variable speed transmission for rotatin the shaft 3 is indicated at III and it is mounted on the main frame I. This variable speed transmission. III may have any suitable construction, that herein shown being a variable speed transmission known to the trade as a Reeves" variable'speed transmission. It comprises a power shaft II to which power .is applied and which is driven ata uniform speed and a transmission shaft I2 connected to the power shaft II with the variable speed transmission in the form of two expansible pulleys I3 and I4, one mounted on the power shaft II and the other on the transmission shaft I2, and a belt I5 connecting said pulleys. The pulleys I3, I4 are so constructed that when the two parts of one pulley move together to enlarge the effective driving circumference of said pulley, the two parts of the other pulley will be separated, thereby reducing the effective driving circumference. This adjustment of the pulleys is effected by the two levers I6, I1 which are pivotally mounted at I6 and which are so connected that when the upper ends of the levers are moved toward each other to increase the effective driving surface of the pulley It the lower ends of the levers will be separated, thereby reducing the effective driving circumference of the pulley I3.

This form of variable speed transmission is one which is more or less commonly used and needs no further description herein.

The power shaft I I may be driven in any appropriate way and I have herein shown for this purpose a belt pulley I9 thereon. Any suitable driving connection between the transmission shaft I2 andthe drum shaft 3 may be employed. I have shown herein a belt drive which comprises a driving pulley 20 on the transmission shaft I2 which is connected by a belt 2| to a pulley 22 on an intermediate shaft 23 that is mounted inbearings carried by the frame I. The shaft 23 has a belt pulley 24 thereon which is connected by a belt 25 with a belt pulley 26 on the shaft 3.

I have stated above that the auxiliary frame 6 on which the shaft 3 is journalled is pivotally connected to the main frame I and preferably the construction will be such that the pivotal axis of the frame 6 will be either below or above the of the pivotal mounting of the frame 6 this in-- creased tension will tend to swing the frame clockwise about the pivot 8 in Fig. 1. This swinging or turning movement of the frame 6 is utilized to adjust automatically the variable speed transmission I so as to cause a reduction of the speed of rotation of the transmission shaft I2 and consequently of the shaft 3 to a. point at which the surface speed of the mass or coil on the drum 2 is the same as that at which the material I is being delivered from-the delivery rolls 4. To accomplish this I have provided a variable speed transmission control in the form ofa lever 21 pivoted to the variable speed transmission frame at 28, said control lever being connected to the upper end of the lever I 6 by a link 29 and to the upper end of the lever I! by a link 30.

These links 29 and 30 are pivotally connected to the control lever 21 at points 3| and 32 respectively located on opposite sides of the pivot 28 so that as the control lever 21 is turned about its pivots the upper ends of thetwo levers I6, I! will be separated or moved toward each other depending upon the direction in which the control lever 21 is turned. This control lever 21 is connected to the frame 6 so-that a swinging or tuming movement of the frame 6 caused by the development of an increased tension or pulling strain in the material I will turn the control lever 2'I and thus adjust the variable speed transmission. The frame 6 is shown as having an extension 33 which is connected to the control lever 21 through the medium of a link connection 34, the latter having a forked lower end 35 which is pivotally connected to the control lever at 36 and having a ball and socket connection 31 with the extension 33.

The extension 33 is shown as provided with a weight 38 which is adjustable on the extension and hence before the winding begins the frame 6 will assume the dotted line position Fig. 1. The variable speed transmission will be initially adjusted so that the surface speed of the empty spool will be substantially the same as that at which.the material I is being delivered from the delivery rolls 4, and when the winding operation begins the parts will be adjusted so that there is a slight tension on the length of material I between the delivery rolls 4 and the drum or spool 2, the variable speed transmission being adjusted so as to maintain this slight tension. As the winding proceeds and the coil of material on the i0 receiver 2 increases in diameter, there will be an increasing tension applied to the material I between the delivery rolls and the drum because of the fact that the material is being delivered at a predetermined speed from the delivery rolls. This increased tension will swing the frame 6 about its pivot 8 from the dotted line position toward the full line position, and this swinging movement of the frame 6 operates through the connection 34 to adjust the control lever 21, and thereby adjust the variable speed transmission. thereby to reduce the speed of the transmission shaft I2 and consequently reduce the speed of the drum shaft 3. By means of this construction the variable speed transmission will be automatically adjusted as the diameter of the coil on the drum 2 increases so as to maintain a surface speed of thedrum substantially the same as the speed with which the material is delivered from the delivery rolls and hence to maintain a substantially constant tension on the material between the delivery rolls and the drum or receiver 2.

The amount of this constant tension can be varied by adjusting the counter-weight 38, an adjustment of the weight toward the left Fig. 1 resulting in maintaining an' increased constant tension on the material I, and an adjustment to the right resulting in maintaining a decreased constant tension on said material I.

While I have. shown an auxiliary frame 6 which is capable of movement relative to the main frame I by virtue of its pivotal mounting on said main frame, yet this particular way of providing for the movement of the auxiliary frame relative to the main frame is not essential to the invention 55 and other constructions may be used which will produce the results herein described. My improvements, therefore, provide a device including a drum on which the material is wound, means to rotate the drum and means responsive to a change in the tension to which the material being delivered to the drum is subjected by the winding operation to vary the speed of rotation of the drum. Furthermore, such variation in speed of rotation of the drum is provided for in such a way. as to maintain a substantially constant tension on the material being delivered to the drum.

1. An apparatus for winding material-in strip or wire form which is being delivered at a predev termined rate, said apparatus comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame movably mounted on the main frame, a drum journalled on the auxiliary frame on which the material is wound, means to rotate the drum including a variable speed transmission mounted on the main frame and having a power shaft, a transmission shaft and a variable speed driving connection between said shafts and a mechanical connection between said auxiliary frame and said variable speed driving connection by which movement of the auxiliary frame induced by the change of tension to which said material is subjected actuates said variable speed driving connection to produce a compensating-change in the speed of rotation of the drum. q

2. Anapparatus for winding material in strip or wire form which is being delivered at a predetermined rate, said apparatus comprising a supporting frame, a winding drum on which the material is wound, an auxiliary frame carrying said drum movably mounted on the supporting frame, said auxiliary frame being adapted for connection and means for connecting said lever to said auxiliary frame whereby movement of the auxiliary frame induced by an increased ten-' rial is wound, an;auxiliary frame on which the drum is journalled and which is .movably mount ed on the main frame and is adapted to be moved thereon by increased tension in the material, means for rotating the winding drum including a power shaft, a transmission shaft and a variable speed driving connection between said shafts and a connection between said auxiliary frame and the variable speed driving connection by which movement of the auxiliary frame induced by an in- 20 

